Shelf and divider unit



y 1958 P. A. ROSENQUIST ET AL 2,845,188

SHELF AND DIVIDER UNIT Filed May 1, 1958 INVENTORSZ 3 PAUL A. RosENQwsT5 B$OBERT E. SANDBERG AT TORNEYS United States Patent SHELF AND DIVIDERUNIT Paul A. Rosenquist, Warren, and Robert E. Sandberg, North Warren,Pa., assignors' to Deluxe Metal Hurrah ture Company, New York, N. Y., acorporation of Pennsylvania Application May 1, 1958, Serial No. 732,195

8 Claims. 01. 211-184 This application is a continuation-in-part of ourcopending application, Serial No. 671,060, filed July 10, 1957, onShelving, now abandoned.

This invention relates to shelf and divider unit, and

more particularly to a metal type of unit which is es-.

pecially adapted for use in filing file folders, notebooks, drawings,envelopes, papers, and the like.

Vertical shelf-type filing arrangements have been known heretofore, buthave been relatively restricted in usage as compared with the moreconventional drawer-type filing units. One of the principal reasons forthe relatively small utilization of vertical shelf-type filing units hasbeen the awkwardness and inefiiciency of the support members or dividersused to maintain the files in vertical position. These dividers, asknown in the art, have frequently interfered with access to the filesand have presented a definite occupational hazard to filing clerks andother personnel using the files. Moreover, the dividers should bequickly and easily adjustable to different positions along the length ofthe shelf, and eificient and effective filing frequently requires asubstantial number of dividers on each individual shelf. Theserequirements have, at best, been only partially realized by knownfiling-shelf structural units. In addition, the fastening arrangementsfor the dividers, as known in the art, have in most instances beenrelatively expensive and have been subject to jamming, verticalinstability, and other operational difliculties.

It is a primary object of our invention, therefore, to afford a novelshelf unit which substantially overcomes or minimizes the aforementioneddisadvantages and difiiculties of previously known arrangements.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide a new and improvedvertical filing shelf unit which affords unobstructed access to thefiles by eliminating fastening devices and other members from the frontof the shelf.

Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improvedvertical filing shelf unit which permits use of a plurality of supportmembers or dividers on the shelf without presenting an occupationalhazard to the users of the shelf and without unduly increasing the costof the complete shelf unit.

A further object of the invention is to provide a new and improvedvertical filing shelf unit which employs simple sheet metal membersas'dividers and which affords a means for removably mounting a number ofthose dividers at any of a plurality of different positions along thelength of a shelf without requiring the use of any auxiliary fasteningdevice other than lugs formed as an integral part of the dividersthemselves.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a new and improvedvertical filing shelf unit which affords adequate vertical stability forthe dividers without requiring alignment of any other principalstructural mem bet with the shelf and without adding materially to thecost of either the shelf or' the dividers. I Other and further objectsof the present invention r% ice will be apparent from the followingdescription and claims and are illustrated in the accompanying drawingswhich, by way of illustration, show a preferred embodiment of thepresent invention and the principles thereof and what is now consideredto be the best mode contemplated for applying these principles. Otherembodiments of the invention embodying the same or equivalent principlesmay be used and structural changes may be made as desired by thoseskilled in the art without departing from the present invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a shelf unit constructed in accordancewith our invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view, taken approximately along line 2-2 in Fig. 1and showing a divider mounted upon the shelf in Fig. l; and

Fig. 3 is a sectional view showing the shelf unit mounted in a cabinet.

A shelf unit 10, embodying the principles of our invention, isillustrated in Figs. 1-3 and comprises the preferred embodiment of theinvention.

The shelf unit 10, which is particularly adapted for vertical filing offile folders, envelopes, papers, and the like, comprises a unitary sheetmetal shelf S upon which a plurality of divider panels 11 are removablymounted. The shelf S includes a substantially flat elongated bottompanel 12 having parallel front and rear edges 13 and 14, respectively. Aback panel 15 is formed integrally with the bottom panel 12 and extendsupwardly from the rear edge 14 of the bottom panel in substantiallyperpendicular relation thereto. Thus, the back panel 15 has a top edgeportion 16 which is bent or otherwise deformed to provide a flange 17,the bottom edge portion of the back panel being integral with the rearedge portion 14 of the panel 12. The back panel 15 has a height which issubstantially smaller than the front-to-rear depth of the bottom panel12 in order that the back panel will not excessively limit the heightsat which individual shelf units may be mounted in a supporting structureas described more fully hereinafter.

The 'shelf S is also provided with three spaced rows of narrow elongatedslots. In the preferred embodiment illustrated in Fig. 1, these rows ofslots comprise the slots 18 and 19 in the bottom panel 12 and the slots20 in the back panel 15. The slots in the three rows are transverselyaligned with respect to each other; that is,

each of the corresponding slots in the three rows, such as the slots18a, 19a and 20a are aligned with each other in a common vertical planetransversely relative to the shelf S. As indicated in Fig. 1, theindividual slots 18 and 19 extend in a direction transverse to thelength of the bottom panel 12, whereas the slots 20 in the back panel 15extend in a vertical direction. The three rows of slots each extendlongitudinally of the shelf in parallel relation to the front and rearedges 13 and 14 of the bottom panel 12.

The first row of slots 18 is spaced inwardly from, but is adjacent to,the front edge 13 of the bottom panel. The row of slots 20, on the otherhand, is preferably located closely adjacent the top edge 16 of the backpanel 15. The remaining row of slots 19 is located intermediate the rows18 and 20 and is closely adjacent the rear edge portion 14 of the bottompanel 12. The slots 19 may be located in the back panel 15 instead ofthe bottom panel 12, if preferred, although the illustrated arrangementin which the slots 19 are formed in the bottom panel 12 is generallymore desirable.

Support for file folders, envelopes, papers, and the like upon the shelfS is provided by the divider panels 11, which are removably mounted inthe slots 18, 19 and 20 of the shelf. In a given filing operation, thenumber of divider panels may vary substantially, depending upon thethickness of the files, the number of files, and other similar factors.In general, it may be considered that ten or less divider panels areusually required for a threefoot shelf unit; four or five divider panelsare frequently adequate on a'shelfoif this lengthpdepending upon thenature of the files and the frequency with which they are removedandreplaced. Each of the divider panels ll comprises a rigid fiat sheet,preferably sheet steel, having top, bottom, front and rear edge portions21, 22, 23 and 24, respectively. It is desirable that the over allheight ofthe divider panels be at least somewhat greater than theheight-of the back panel of the shelf S, although this is not alwaysessential.

Three spaced-apart mounting lugs 25, 26 and 27 are formed as an integralpart of each of the divider panels 11. These mounting lugs project fromthe bottom and rear edge portions 22 and 24, respectively, of thedivider panel, and are substantially in the plane of the fiat sheetwhich forms the dividerpanel. Stated differently, it is preferred thatthe mounting lugs 25, 26 and 27 not be bent or otherwise deflected withrespect to the principal fiat portion of the divider panel. The dividermounting lugs 25, 26 and 27 are spaced to register with the slots 18, 19and 28, respectively, in the shelf S and, when the divider is mounted onthe shelf, are positioned in the slots, as best indicated in Fig. 2.Moreover, and as shown in Fig. 2, the front edge portion of each of thedividers is located inwardly of the front edge portion 13 of the bottompanel 12 of the shelf and is preferably closely adjacent the front edgeportion of the slot 18 engaged by the lug 25 on the divider panel. Inthe illustrated embodiment of the invention, the two mounting lugs 25and 27 are substantially hook-shaped in configuration, the remainingprojection or lug 26 being located intermediate the two hook-shapedlugs.

The lugs 25, 26 and 27 are so disposed on the body of the divider panel11 that, in inserting the divider in position upon the shelf S, theleading edge of the lug 25 may be inserted through one of the slots 18with the rear edge portion 24 of the divider tilted upwardly. The rearportion of the divider may then be pivoted downwardly to engage the lugs26 and 27 in the slots 19 and 2t) aligned with the slot 18 alreadyengaged by the divider panel. In this mounted position, as illustratedin Fig. 2,

the lugs 25 and 27 are hooked into the panels 12 and 15, respectively,and effectively prevent demounting of the divider panel by eitherhorizontal or vertical movement, thus minimizing the possibility ofaccidental removal of the divider when files are removed from the shelfS.

On the other hand, the divider panel 11 may be readily I removed fromthe shelf S by tilting the rear end portion 24 upwardly to disengage thelugs 26 and 27 and subsequently lifting the tilted divider to disengagethe lug 25 from the slot 18. Consequently, the divider 11 may be quicklyand conveniently disposed in any of the multiplicity of positions alongthe shelf S which are afforded by the aligned sets of slots 18, 19 and20. Moreover, the three-point engagement of the mountinglugs of thedivider panel with the bottom and back panels of the shelf S affordsadequate vertical stability for the divider and thus enables the dividerto provide the requisite support for envelopes, file folders, and thelike disposed upon the shelf. In this connection, it should be notedthat the construction of the shelf S as a single integral member makesit possible to align the slots 18, 19 and with an accuracy sufiicient toassure convenient and rapid mounting of the divider panels; moreimportantly this integral shelf construction makes it completelyunnecessary to align any auxiliary members of a shelving assembly, suchas a separate back panel, with the shelf S.

It is of course contemplated that the shelf units such as the unit 10will be mounted in tiers in a separate supporting frame. Any convenientand elfective mounting arrangement may be employed in conjunction withthe shelf units without departing in any way from the invention; on theother hand, it is highly preferable that the mounting arrangementselected provide for mounting the shelves at varying heights. Forexample, with file folders of one size, it may be desirable to separatethe shelves by a given distance, whereas with different size filefolders the shelf separation required may be substantially greater.Moreover, in a given shelving assembly it may be desirable to providefile accommodations for more than one type of file folder or for notebooks and other materials in addition to standard file folders. Apreferred mounting arrangement for the shelves is described in detail inPatent No. 2,005,593 to Onions, which utilizes a highly effective yetinexpensive mounting bracket to suspend the shelves within a shelvingassembly. In a mounting arrangement of this kind, the shelves such asthe shelf S are provided with suitable mounting flanges 28 which engagethe brackets of the shelving assembly.

As pointed out hereinabove, it is desirable that the height of the backpanel 15 be made relatively small as compared with the front-to-reardepth of the bottom panel 12. On the other hand, the back panel shouldbe at least several inches in height to afford adequate stability forthe divider panels 11 and also to serve as a backstop for the files inthose shelving installations Where no separate back panel is provided.In this connection it should be noted that the back panel 15, andspecifically the flange portion 17 thereof, affords an effective andconvenient means for mounting identification tab cards upon the shelfunit. Where desired, a facing member such as the channel 29 (Fig. 1) ora cabinet base 31 may be mounted in front of the shelf S to afford amore finished appearance, particularly where individual doors areutilized to cover the front areas of the file shelves.

In order, to facilitate insertion and removal of each of the dividers 11a notched portion 30 may be provided in the rear edge 24 of each divider11, below the adjacent lug 27, and in inserting the divider 11 intoposition of use, and in removing it therefrom, the inner wall of eachnotched portion 30 may be rested upon the bottom wall portion of one ofthe slots 20 in the rear or back wall panel 15.

The shelf unit of the invention affords unobstructed access to thefiles, since there are no fastening devices or other members located atthe front of the shelf S. Moreover, the recessed construction for thedividers 21 effectively eliminates the occupational hazard to users ofthe shelf which is presented by many prior art filing shelf structures.The mounting arrangement for the divider panels affords the furtheradvantage of extreme simplicity and very low cost, since the mountinglugs 25, 26 and 27 may be formed in the divider panels by a simplepunching operation as a part of and as an incident to normal manufactureof the dividers.

In Fig. 3, the shelf unit 10 is shown mounted in a cabinet in a typicalmounting arrangement. The cabinet structure comprises a pair of sidewalls 32 and 33, interconnected by the base member 31. The base membermay be secured to the walls 32' and 33 by suitable means, such as thebolts 34. A back panel 35 may be incorporated in the cabinet, or theback may be left open if desired.

Each of the side walls 32 and 33, in the mounting arrangement shown inFig. 3, is provided with two rows of spaced slots 36 and 37. Mountingbrackets such as the bracket 39 may be mounted in the slots 36 and 37,as described in the aforementioned patent to Onions. The shelves S maythen be mounted on the brackets by engaging the flanges 28 with thebrackets, affording a secure mounting arrangement but permitting readyremovaland replacement of the shelves at varying heights within thecabinet. If desired, the cabinet and shelves may be provided withsuitable doors such as the door assembly A illustrated in Fig. 1.

ing, that the present invention accomplishes its aforesaid and otherobjects, and has the desirable advantages and characteristicshereinbefore set forth, and others which are inherent in the invention,as hereinbefore described, and as defined hereinafter in the claims.

We claim:

1. A shelf and divider unit for vertical filing of file folders,envelopes, papers, and the like, comprising a unitary sheetmetal shelfincluding a substantially flat elongated bottom panel having parallelfront and rear edges, a back panel having a top edge portion and havinga bottom edge portion integral with the rear edge portion of the bottompanel and said back panel extending upwardly from the rear edge of saidbottom panel in substantially perpendicular relation thereto, said backpanel having a height substantially less than the front to rear depth ofsaid bottom panel, said shelf having three spaced rows of elongatednarrow spaced apart transversely aligned slots therein, the slots insaid bottom panel extending transversely thereacross and the slots insaid back panel extending vertically therein, said rows of slotsextending longitudinally of the shelf in parallel relation to the frontand rear edges of said bottompanel with a first one of said rows ofslots being spaced inwardly from but adjacent to the front edge of saidbottom panel, each of said slots in said first row having a front edgeportion and a rear edge portion, a second row of said slots beinglocated closely adjacent the top edge of said back panel, and the otherrow of said slots being located intermediate said first and second rowsof slots adjacent the rear edge portion of said bottom panel, aplurality of divider panels each comprising a rigid flat sheet havingtop, bottom, front and rear edge portions and having three spaced apartmounting lugs projecting from the bottom and rear edge portions thereofsubstantially in the plane of said flat sheet, said lugs being so spacedas to register with said slots and being positioned therein, the frontedge portion of said dividers being positioned inwardly of the frontedge portion of said bottom panel and adjacent the front edge portionsof said slots in said first row of slots, and said dividers beingremovably mounted on and maintained in stable vertical position on saidshelf by engagement of said lugs in said slots and by engagement ofbottom and rear edge portions of said dividers with said bottom and backpanels, respectively.

2. A shelf and divider unit as defined in claim 1 in which the height ofeach of said divider panels is substantially greater than the height ofthe said back panel.

3. A shelf and divider unit as defined in claim 1 in which the third rowof slots is located in the bottom panel closely adjacent the rear edgeportion of said bottom panel, and in which two of said lugs on each ofsaid dividers are of substantially hook-shaped configuration and areseparated from each other by the third lug.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,418,324 OConnor June 6, 1922 2,222,974 Bow Nov. 26, 1940 2,257,536Roycroft Sept. 30, 1941 2,393,536 Horne Jan. 22, 1946 2,491,652 FeerickDec. 20, 1949 2,522,483 Plack Sept. 12, 1950

